Bonobos and Chimpanzees

A rather interesting thing happened on the 27th of July. Nothing unusual for me, I slept under the stars. The interesting part that the table I left to go sleep on the pool bench (it was about 30 in the heat wave at 1am) contained someone who I spend the greater part of my childhood with, although already at this stage the greater part was minimised. To whom he was talking was the "love of his life". But this more a note on the hypothetical effects of excess testosterone on an individual.

We have your typical alpha male who has established his territory. In his territory he defines the rules that need to be followed. Although a male dependent may need to try and establish a territory within this, so that he may strut his feathers. On higher evolved mammals this may take place on an intellectual playing field. But on simpler species a general strut or physical sign of superiority may, in the individuals mind, be an indication that he has achieved a level of superiority. The irony is that such an act requires the completion of the act, the ousting of the alpha male to be of any significance in terms of territory. This act is impossible, as an intellectual he is still far inferior at this stage to provide for himself. The failure to actually obtain any status, has now made him vulnerable to the other sub alpha males in the same territory. To over come this weakness one can theorise that for such a complex animal has homo sapein that that act of trying to obtain the the support of the alpha male was a means of maintaining a sense of status. An attempt to prevent support of other males in the territory. This factor would be supported by the female whos' genes where being carried but the male in the study. Such support is required where the Alpha male shares no genes with the dependents. Although the genes carried by decedents of the alpha male moved to new territories as soon a the opportunity arrived, the testosterone driven male required several more years before being able to move to new territory as it appears he was no threat to the alpha female in the territory as they shared the same genes, as such no threat to the alpha males.

The long duration as a sub male suppressed the outward symbols of the excess testosterone. Soon after moving to a new territory the effects of baldness soon developed. Along with the desire to acquire status symbols. As well as being promiscuous.

Sorry where was, oh yes sleeping on bench by the pool, well not asleep, just watching the stars listing to the conversation happening about 5 meters away from me, not that I really had a choice. I am not sure if they were to drunk to notice that I had only walked 5 meters away, or did not care. The conversation went along the lines of "I beat them to their father, and then helped my brother beat them too" names where mentioned, but I won't. "The other woman was a thing of the past". "I earn more than you". "I know you put half the money to the house, but its my house".
To complement this the last time we meet back home the only thing he was able to tell me the he had just slept with another woman 2 days before his girlfriend arrived from London.

I truly wonder sometimes about why the human race should be monogamous? The endorphins released during sex created a sense of attachment. A true reason for make love not war. one huge world wide gang bang? Are the Bonobos and Chimpanzeens not both highly evolved primates. Yet with totally different sexual dynamics in their societies. But there is a conundrum in that the Bonobo is a non aggresive species, yet highly sexual, and the Chimpanzee is aggressive where testosterone driven characteristics are dominant. What would happen in an aggressive Bonobo society?

Where is the human race progressing? What type of woman is attracted to status, but unable to access security and the ability to provide from a male. In todays world are testosterone characteristic males are unable to provide stable environments. Or are they children from broken homes from fathers from broken families. An interesting analysis would be the results of Male/Female family success in family development (where they have come from broken homes) and a measure of hormone levels compared to a norm.